1:15pm- 2pm

Facilitators Randy Stannard and Dominic Allamano  

People really respond to fruit gleaning and the broader interest of fruit production.

It’s good to look at gardening through the Permaculture lens and to develop healthy systems.

Important to help people to rely on themselves for food—like they used to do through bartering, farming, etc.

Neighbors no longer know each other. It’s time to reengage and to re-inhabit neighborhoods.

Fruit trees are massive, underutilized resources. What other under-utilized resources are out there?

Harvest Sacramento offers weekly, large harvests. They teach that it’s important it is to give back to the trees–to feed, mulch and prune them. Also the importance of companion planting and the draws of beneficial insects.   Next step is to introduce edible landscaping—at their community events.

Amanda from Alameda Backyard Growers mentioned that ABG got a grant from stopwaste.org to hire an arborist to periodically train  volunteers and gleaning tree donors to properly prune their fruit trees. ABG also created videos to show volunteer gleaners—e.g. on safety practices

Harvest Sacramento recruits volunteers from: churches, High School students needing to complete Service Learning hours, volunteer centers, from media outreach, etc.

Here’s how Harvest Sacramento runs their harvest events—with trained volunteer group leaders:

Get everyone to form a circle.  Welcome.

Give an overview of the day

We are here –at the location. Where are you from? Name the neighborhoods.

Ask people to “step into their neighborhoods” –to see who else is there from the same area.

Let people mill about in place—in the circle. Let them get to know each other a bit.

Let them choose partners to glean with.

Ask people to answer 3 questions from Harvest Sacramento e.g. Why are you here? What do you want to get out of this? Etc.

Tell everyone about Harvest Sacramento—its mission, vision, etc.

Tell about the bigger picture and the potential of using under-utilized resources.

Go over the logistics of the day

Break up and glean—at one or more nearby locations

AFTER GLEANING:

Gather again in a circle to reflect, get answers to follow-up questions. etc.

Then stay connected to these volunteers and use notice which ones might make good team leaders

Dominic said their volunteers usually feel:   Inspired, Curious and Grateful